


The Kanto Journeys

by Anonymous1O1



Series: The Legendary Journeys [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: AAML - Freeform, Action, Adventure, Aura!Ash, Aura!Giovanni, Aura!OC, Contestshipping, Dense!Ash, Drama, ElderShipping, F/M, FourthWheelShipping, Gen, IkariShipping, Mature!Ash, Multi, OC pairings, One-side TraumaShipping, PokemonMaster!Ash, Post-Canon, RocketShipping - Freeform, Romance, Series, Smart!Team Rocket, Team Rocket - Freeform, WishfulShipping, adult, adult characters, amourshipping, part one, pokeshipping - Freeform, tournament
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2015-08-25
Packaged: 2018-04-01 11:17:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4017751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anonymous1O1/pseuds/Anonymous1O1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ash Ketchum, now the World's Greatest Pokemon Master, has come to realize that life in the spotlight isn't what he wants. He misses the old days, back when he was journeying around and had nothing to worry about but getting all eight badges from that specific region. Desperate to find his old self again, he goes back to Kanto and is presented with a challenge unlike any other. PokeShipping. First part of a series. Updated frequently.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

The Jolteon fell to the ground, knocked out. The Electabuzz stood nearby, chanting proudly as it saw that its opponent was defeated.

"Jolteon is unable to continue! The Pokemon Master wins!" The judge gestured toward Ash, who showed no expression despite the disappointment he felt. Many Trainers had challenged him over the past month. Not one had been at all entertaining to battle. Each usually only required Ash to use two or three of his six available Pokemon.

Having taken the title of World's Greatest Pokemon Master from his long-time rival Paul five years before, he was responsible for accepting any challenge that he was met with. He had fought his fair share of inexperienced Magikarp hoarders, as well as some phenomenal Trainers who had proved to be quite the challenge to defeat.

This most recent Trainer recalled his Jolteon to its Ball. Ash did the same with his Electabuzz, hopping off of his platform to meet the other Trainer. The electric current running through the field stopped as soon as Ash left his platform.

When Ash had taken over, he'd made use of a system of battle fields. When a Trainer challenged him, they had to choose one of the eighteen types. They would then be required to compile a team of six Pokemon that had that typing. They would then battle Ash on a field specially catered to that type. For example, the Fire field was a pit of boiling lava, and the Ice field was a sheet of ice that covered everything except the two Trainer platforms.

Ash reached his hand out, his face still betraying no emotion. The boy took his hand and shook it. Ash offered him the same advice he gave everybody who lost to him.

"Keep working. You need to be prepared for anything as a Trainer. Your demonstration today showed me that you still have much more work to do before you are ready to become a certified Pokemon Master."

The boy nodded, looking as if he were frightened by Ash's prescence. "Yes, sir." He let go of Ash's hand and slunk away.

Ash sighed as he left. The last time he'd promoted someone to Pokemon Master was over seven months ago. In order to be promoted, a Trainer had to defeat him in battle. If they did that, they got to be promoted- as long as they met the other requirements. Firstly, they had to have at least twenty-four total Badges. Secondly, they had to have made it into the Top 8 of at least two different League competitions. Finally, they had to demonstrate to Ash that they were mature and skilled enough to handle the role.

"Another disappointing defeat."

Ash turned. Behind him stood his adviser and de facto second-in-command, Brock. When he had heard of his old friend's ascension to World's Greatest Pokemon Master, he had come straight to him and demanded a battle. If he won, he said, Ash was entitled to make him a Pokemon Master and invite him into his circle of workers. He had narrowly managed to defeat Ash, earning himself the role as his friend's much respected adviser.

Ash sighed again. "Unfortunately, yes. I don't understand how all of these Trainers qualify to battle me. They seem nowhere skilled enough to have met all of the PM requirements."

"They probably just wanted to battle you for the sake of being able to say they did."

Ash grabbed a towel from the sideline viewing stand and wiped his face. "It still frustrates me. When I challenged Paul for my title, I took it seriously. I spent months training my Pokemon and forming the perfect team. Why can't other Trainers do the same?"

"Perhaps they just care about the fame, not about winning or creating the perfect team."

Ash shook his head. "I don't know. I probably never will."

He left the Electric field and headed back to his house. Being the World's Greatest Pokemon Master had made him a ton of money. So much so that he barely knew what to do with it all. He had bought a nice house, nice cars, tons of nice electronics and furniture, donated to charities, paid off all his loans, and sent a decent chunk of money to his mother in Pallet Town each month. And still here he was, rich as fuck and having no clue what to do with himself.

When he got inside, he just sat down on the couch and thought.

It had been way easier than it should have been to beat that kid. The kid had Pokemon with great potential, but didn't know what he was doing. He had his Pokemon use moves that were way too weak for their level, and Ash could tell they didn't respect their Trainer at all.

He took off his Ball Holster and set it on the coffee table. He'd spent years researching Pokemon typings, moves, abilties, and more. He'd formed team after team and tested them all, constantly changing them until he was satisfied.

He turned on the T.V. and started surfing through channels, looking for something minimally interesting to watch.

He eventually came to Battle Central, a 24/7 cable T.V. channel that aired important battles from all across the world. They usually just showed various, uninteresting battles from minor tournaments. Most of the battles weren't even real battles, just a bunch of Pokemon using various moves for no apparent reason.

But this time, something interesting was actually on the channel. The channel was showing the preliminary portion of an upcoming Gym Leader Test. Gym Leader Tests were implemented by the League a couple of years after Ash had become the World's Greatest Pokemon Master, and were given on an annual basis to each of the Gym Leaders to determine if they still qualified to be a Gym Leader. A certified representative from the League would be sent to battle the Gym Leader and test their Pokemon knowledge. It was one of the few events Ash actually bothered to pay attention to- for one reason.

And that reason was blazing before him on that screen at that very moment.

Ash felt his heart quicken a little when he saw her. It had been ten years since he'd seen her. During that time she'd grown quite considerably, looking much more like a woman than a tomboyish girl. Her autumn colored hair cascaded around her shoulders, and her green eyes sparked with the same enthusiasm and fire he had always known.

"Misty..." He murmured longingly.

"Infatuated much?" A voice teasingly asked behind him.

Ash jerked his head around. Blake Raymond, a good friend of his whom he had met during his second journey through Kanto, was standing off to the side of the couch, a teasing smile on his face. He grinned a bit more. "I didn't think you were the type to fall head over heels for a girl, Ashey-boy."

"Don't call me that." Ash snapped. "She's not a love of mine. We journied together for a while, and I had a crush on her."

"Do you still have one on her now?"

"Did you not hear me say 'had'"?

Blake shrugged. "It's okay to fall in love, Ash. We all have to some day, don't we?"

Ash rolled his eyes. "Nobody has to fall in love, Blake. Most people just do. I'm an exception to the norm. Like usual." His gaze traveled downward.

Blake rested a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Hey, man. Don't sweat it. You're plenty important. You're the World's Greatest Pokemon Master, for Arceus' sake!"

Ash pushed him away. "That's not what I'm talking about, Blake. I'm talking about happiness. I don't care about fame and importance. I care about happiness, which happens to be something I have very little of these days."

"So then go after that lover girl there."

Ash slammed his fist down on the coffee table. "For the last time, she is not my lover!"

Blake held up his hands. "Okay, okay. Jeez. Just tryin' to lighten the mood."

"Yeah, well I'm not really in the mood for that. Get my gist?"

It took him a moment to realize what he was saying. "Yeah, I get it." Slowly, he sat down beside Ash. "Sorry."

Ash's only response was a grunt. His attention had turned back to the television. The footage had switched to a live showing of the battle between Misty and the League representative. The representative sent out a Poison-type Muk, while Misty sent out her Starmie.

Ash watched as the battle quickly escalated from simple duel to intense battle. It was clear both sides were extremely experienced. Ash found himself impressed by how much Misty had grown as a Trainer. This was the first year she was standing as Cerulean City Gym Leader since she was fifteen and had left to further her training as a Water Master. It was apparent to Ash that she had definitely learned a lot from her years spent out training in the middle of Arceus knew where.

"And Starmie lands an effective Hydro Pump attack! Muk retaliates with Toxic! Can Starmie hold on long enough to secure a victory?"

Ash adjusted his position from a sitting one to a reclining one. He had never liked announcers during battles. When he was battling, he found them distracting. When he was spectating, he just found them annoying. Always blaring out pointless information everyone in their right mind had already figured out. Yes, Ash was sure everyone in the Cerulean Gym could see that Misty's Starmie had landed a Hydro Pump and Muk had made a comeback with Toxic.

The battle continued on, the announcer making more pointless and redundant comments about how this was a "heated battle sure to create a lot of steam" and how "both Trainers were extremely skilled and qualified to be in their respective positions".

In the end, Misty's Starmie beat Muk, her Psyduck (which entered battle against her will as usual) lost against a Mightyena, and her Corsola won against a Cacturne. Ash felt immense pride and pleasure as he heard the judge announce Misty as the victor of the battle. He smiled a little.

Blake grinned like a monkey when he saw Ash smile at Misty's victory. "You still like her."

Ash glared at him. "I thought you said you got my point."

"Just because I got your point doesn't mean I have to follow it for the rest of my life."

Ash snorted. "I can very easily fire you right now and have you thrown out of this community."

Blake laughed. "You wouldn't have it in you to throw one of your best friends out."

He raised his eyebrows. "Would you like to test me?"

Blake met his eyes for a moment before looking away. "No, sir." He mumbled.

Ash turned off the T.V. and stood up. "Good." He walked into the kitchen and opened the pantry. He pulled out a half-empty bag of Cheetos and started munching on them, leaning against the counter.

"You know what?" He said.

Blake looked at him. "What?"

Ash licked some of the cheese dust off of his fingers. "I've been thinking a lot lately. About the old days."

"You mean about the days when you and your crush were still together?"

Ash gave him a death glare that would have made a Houndoom faint. He lowered his gaze, even though a small smile was still visible on his lips.

"No, not that. In fact, today was the first day I've even thought about Misty in about five months." His tone got extremely defensive with that sentence, as it always did whenver he was lying. Truth was, he thought about Misty a lot. Of course, he wasn't about to admit that. Espeically not to Blake. Although looking at his friend, Ash could tell he didn't quite believe him.

"What I was talking about was that I've been thinking about how carefree and happy I was when it was just me travelling alone through Kanto and Johto. And, well, I want to experience that again."

Blake, who had walked into the kitchen and poured a glass of water for himself, nearly choked. "What?"

Ash rolled up the Cheetos bag and put it back in the cupboard. "I'm serious. I'm bored out of my fucking mind here. Nobody is even a challenge anymore. I figured I might as well go out and find somebody who is."

"But isn't that like, against the rules or something?"

"Of course it isn't. Back when Red was the Greatest Master, he travelled to and from Mt. Silver all the time. Paul spent almost a year travelling through Sinnoh with his brother. So I'm going to do the same thing."

"But Ash, you don't have a brother."

"Not that, dumbass! I'm going to travel, just like Red and Paul did before me. I'm going back to Kanto."

"Can I-"

"Alone."

Blake's mouth snapped shut. A moment later, he said,

"Alright, then, sir. I'll make sure everything stays in order while you're gone."

"Yeah, yeah. Just try not to get in Brock's way while he makes sure everything stays in order, okay?"

"Yes, sir." Blake said rather dejectedly.

Ash cracked his fingers. "Now, leave me to my peace. I have a lot of thinking to do before I leave tomorrow at dawn."

"That soon? But sir, aren't there preparations-"

"No, Blake. There are no preparations to be made. Now go before I call security on you."

Blake looked as if he wanted to argue, but thought better of it and left. Ash didn't take his eyes off of him until he had left. Blake had a tendency to sneak away with a pair of Ash's shoes or the keys to one of his Jaguars every once in a while.

As soon as Ash heard the front door shut and Blake's car start up, he went upstairs to get ready. The first and most important thing was deciding which six Pokemon he'd bring with him. Before, it was as simple as which ones had gone with him to Kanto for his second journey through. But the majority of those Pokemon were training elsewhere now. Charizard was in the Charicific Valley. Pikachu was getting some special one-on-one training with an Electric Master Ash had battled and lost against about two years prior. Blastoise was still leading the Squirtle Squad.

Then again, the whole purpose of going back through Kanto was so that he could relive old memories and experience all of the feelings he felt back when he went through Kanto for the very first time. He didn't need a team of six powerful beasts to do that. He only needed one Pokemon to do it. And he knew which one it was going to be.

He had picked up this little Pokemon while visiting Sinnoh to attend the annual Lily of the Valley Conference. He'd picked it up for the exact reason he was choosing it now, to be used as a starter Pokemon for him when he started his journey again. This little Piplup would become his new fighting partner in the absence of his beloved Pikachu, whom he hoped to reunite with once he made it to the Electric Master's home somewhere in Kanto. Setting the Poke Ball on his desk, Ash went over and leaned against the wall, looking out through his window to see the beautiful landscape of his 120-acre home.

He would miss this place, sure. It had been nice to have everything at his fingertips for the past few years. He got sick of always sleeping outside, relying on the occasional Pokemon Center to get his shower and wash his clothes. He could scarcely believe he was actually going out into the world again to do just that.

But this whole thing made something stir deep inside him. Old feelings were already beginning to surface, conjuring up new ideas and hopes for the future. Once he was through journeying through Kanto, he would move on to the other regions. He wouldn't go through them the same way he had before, battling Gyms and gaining badges. No, he would find a different way, he was sure. After all, he was the World's Greatest Pokemon Master. Nothing was too far out of his reach.

Or so he thought.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash arrives home in Pallet Town to old friends and some surprising news.

The private jet glided effortlessly across the sky, leaving contrails streaked across the clear blue sky. The ocean below looked magnificent, mile after mile of just blue. A flock of bird Pokemon flew calmly by only mere yards from the jet.

Ash sat in one of the seats, reclining in his chair and enjoying a morning cup of juice and an egg sandwich. He loved the feeling of being in the air, and felt a prick of jealousy at the freedom the Pokemon just outside his window had. If only he had wings. Then, he could soar high into the sky and escape the awful parts of his life whenever he wanted. He'd gone skydiving before, but it wasn't the same. He still ended up on the ground long before he wanted to. He sighed longingly, dreaming of a life he'd never get to have.

"Master, are you alright?"

Ash jerked his head around. His private steward, Cullen Chesterfield, stood behind him, a concerned look crossing his face.

Ash rubbed his tired eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." Quickly, he finished his juice and sandwich. "Here, Cullen, take care of this for me, will you?"

"Of course, Master. Is there anything else I can get for you?"

"No."

Nodding, Cullen swept the empty Styrofoam cup and sandwich wrapper into his hands and walked away. Back in his glory days, Cullen had been a Pokemon Ranger. He had the build of someone who must have been very strong in their younger years, with broad shoulders and a solid, sturdy body. His gray hair was neatly combed and slicked back in a very professional manner, and his beard was trimmed to perfection. Ash had hired him recently to replace his old stewardess, who had walked out on him because supposedly he was "too difficult". Ash knew that was a load of bull. He barely made any requests at all. The girl was just lazy. Cullen, on the other hand, was ten times more efficient.

After some more time spent watching bird Pokemon, taking a run to the John, and then more time watching Pokemon, the plane finally touched down at Indigo International Airport. Ash was out of his seat and trying to get off of the plane before the wheels even stopped moving. Cullen had to practically sit on him to keep him from flinging himself off of the airliner.

Once the plane had finally come to a halt and the stairs had been lowered, Ash broke out into the sunlight. Throwing his arms into the air, he screamed out at the top of his lungs. His voice shot through the still morning air like a missile.

"Hello Kanto!"

His scream drew the attention of his fans, who were soon flocking around his jet, barely letting him descend onto the ground. He was extremely used to this process by now. Smile, pen, sign. Smile, pen, sign. Smile, pen, sign.

Truth be told, however, he was growing tired of it. When he had first earned his title, he was more than eager to sign everyone's t-shirts and pictures of him. Now, however, he felt no joy from it. Sure, he appreciated his fans, but the thrill of it all just wasn't there anymore. He felt a pang of despair. What if he couldn't get free from his fans like he wanted? He knew his security forces would be watching him 24/7, doing what they could to keep fans from following him and bothering him on his journey. But would it be enough?

Fortunately for Ash, security stepped in after about the twentieth signature. They shooed everyone away, telling them that Ash needed his peace and that they weren't to bother him anymore.

Once everyone was gone, security clustered tightly around Ash and led him to the limo that was parked outside of the airport, waiting to take him to his first stop- Pallet Town. He'd already called his mom and told her that he'd be coming, and she said that she'd get everyone in town together to welcome him back. He would be relieved to see his old town's people again. Pallet Town only had about 120 residents. Back in the day, 120 seemed like such a large number to Ash. Now, it felt more like just one.

The windows of the limo were darkened from the outside so no one could see in, but were lightened on the inside so Ash could see out. As the limo rolled slowly out of the airport, he saw massive clusters of screaming girls and chanting guys everywhere. Some of them had Pokemon that were dressed up in Pikachu costumes, while they themselves were dressed up to look like Ash. The Pokemon Master himself had never understood why people thought dressing up like their favorite celebrity would ever get them anywhere.

Once the limo pulled out onto the main road, things got less crowded. Cop cars quickly joined them, their lights flashing to warn off potential fan stalkers. Ash longed for the days when he could drive anywhere without blue and red lights striking through his field of vision every five seconds. He leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes, trying to block out those lights that poked at him as often as his fans.

As soon as he shut his eyes, he saw her. In all of her new-found glory, standing in the spotlight of her Gym. Her palace. Her place of mastery. She reigned over the water like he reigned over a Poke Ball. She was meant for the water as he was meant for the battlefield. He saw himself then, walking toward her. She moved, too, heading slowly toward him, a broad smile stretching her tanned face.

Finally, at long last, they reached each other. Their feet skimmed over the floor as they pulled one another into an embrace, caressing each other for the first time in years. Seeing each other for the first time in years. Their eyes reflected each other's love, their smiles each other's joy. Neither could live without the other. They were one, a single force that would take the world by storm. He leaned forward, she leaned forward, their lips mere inches away from touching.

Ash jerked awake, nearly hitting his head on the low ceiling of the limo. How long had he been out?

He checked out the window. Farmland stretched far into the distance, every inch covered by crops. Various Pokemon and their farmer Trainers tended to the yield. Occasional farm houses appeared sitting majestically atop a tall hill, surrounded by beautiful trees and more crops. The beginnings of Pallet Town.

He was almost home.

Ash could almost taste his own excitement. Here he was, sitting in the back of a limo, coming home for the first time in years. He was dying to see his mom again. Professor Oak. His friends in Pallet. Even Gary. He wondered if his rival-turned-friend had made any significant advances in his research while Ash was gone.

Ash looked down at his hands. They were shaking fiercely with excitement. He had never felt so excited in his life. It was like he was becoming a Pokemon Trainer all over again. Memories flashed through his mind. Him waking up late and racing to Professor Oak's Pokemon Laboratory. Oak telling him the three starters had already been taken. Ash deciding to take the spare one despite its lack of respect for people. Pikachu shocking him and eventually, the people of Pallet. Him and Pikachu starting their journey.

All of that, which before had seemed infinitely far, was now so close. He was home again, back in the place he knew better and loved more than the back of his own hand. This was his home, not his private island. This was where he belonged. Deep down, he knew this was the right choice. For so many years he'd been cooped up on that island like a Pokemon in a Poke Ball. He had fame and fortune, two things he had dreamed of but didn't end up wanting in the end. Now, sitting here in his limo, he knew that he wanted this. This was what was best. He was him again. He was coming back.

At last, at long sweet last, the limo pulled up in front of his old home. He jumped out, and was greeted by the residents of Pallet. They held up a banner with his name scrawled over it and chanted his name. Almost instantly, Ash's mother and Professor Oak rushed forward, the former wrapping Ash in a tight hug.

"Oh, my baby boy, you've gotten so big, and so handsome!" Delia Ketchum said, squeezing her son even tighter.

Ash coughed. "Mom... you're - crushing - me..."

At that moment, Delia seemed to realize what she was doing. She immediately let go of her son, laughing a bit. "Sorry, dear. How have you been? Have you been remembering to change your underwear every day?"

Ash gritted his teeth. "Mom! Not in front of all these people!"

"Sorry, dear!"

Professor Oak, who had been laughing at the scene before him, stepped in to welcome Ash home. "You'll have to tell me all about your experiences later, young man. I'm sure there's much to learn from the World's Greatest Pokemon Master!"

Despite his distaste for the title, Ash put on his proud face and gave Samuel Oak a thumbs-up. "Sure thing, Professor! You'll have to tell me about what's been going on here, too. I'm sure I've missed a lot!"

Samuel scratched the back of his ear and chuckled. "Well, not really, actually." They all laughed at that reminder that Pallet was no place for big events.

Delia led Ash inside, presenting him with a house decked out in all sorts of party goods. Streamers hung from the ceiling in every room, confetti littered the floor, and the smell of freshly-baked cake filled the air.

"I picked out some new clothes for you, Ash." Delia said, exchanging her sandals for a pair of slippers. "You might want to change into them. Your current clothes are rather... un-party-like."

Ash opened his mouth to retort that his clothes were fine, then realized that she was probably right. He was wearing a blue hoodie over a white t-shirt and a pair of faded jeans. His black sneakers were scuffed up and mud-stained. Feeling a bit embarrassed that he looked like a twenty-year-old with no clue how to dress himself, he backed up the stairs and into his room.

His room was just like he'd left it ten years ago. A Pikachu-covered blue comforter sat spread neatly across his bed, his replacement Voltorb clock ticking on the dresser beside the bed. Interesting that his mom had bothered to continuously replace the batteries over the years.

Ash ran his hands down the walls. He knew it probably looked crazy, but he just missed this place so much. He had been gone so long he had almost forgotten how vibrant his light green walls were or how plush his sky blue carpet was. All of his trophies from his original journey were still there, freshly dusted and polished. Ash suddenly wished he'd brought his World's Greatest Pokemon Master certificate with him. Oh well. Nothing could really dampen his good mood today.

Seeing that his mom had indeed left him new clothes, Ash kicked the door shut and changed. His mom had picked out a nice white button-up shirt, a black tie, and black dress pants for him. A pair of brand-new black shoes and dress socks sat at the foot of his bed. As he changed into them, he hoped to Arceus that his mom hadn't used her monthly payment from him to buy himself something. The money was supposed to be for her, not for him. However, Ash knew that he could never talk Delia out of spending her money on him. Once a mother, always a mother.

Once he was through changing, he combed out his messy black hair and applied some holding gel. Looking at himself in the mirror, he understood what his mom had said about him becoming quite handsome. Now, Ash was no selfish brat, but he, like every human being, liked to admire himself from time to time. And there was plenty for him - and the girls - to admire. His face had gone from soft and childlike to defined and manly. A shadow of a beard was beginning to show itself on his face. His brown eyes sparked with a fiery excitement. His features had become coarse over the years, with him developing high, defined cheekbones and a rounded chin. The only thing he didn't like about him was his nose, which had become somewhat pointy.

Shaking himself out of his admiring stance, Ash opened the door and walked back downstairs. He went around from group to group, greeting old friends and receiving compliment after compliment about how he'd grown up into a fine young man. Everything felt different to Ash, but still very much the same. Everyone was treating him like an adult now. No longer did the older residents of Pallet look down on him as someone they just needed to tolerate for a few hours. No longer did the girls look at him with distaste, like he was some kind of Garbordor clone. Now, they all looked at him with pride and joy. True pride and joy. And he loved it.

Ash was just beginning to make his way over to the punch bowl when someone stopped him. A firm hand gripped his shoulder, and he turned. His eyes widened with surprise when he saw Brock standing behind him, wearing a deep blue suit and tie. It took Ash a few moments to find his tongue, which Brock found fairly amusing.

"Brock? What in the name of Arceus are you doing here?"

His best friend smiled. "I decided that I couldn't possibly miss your return to Pallet Town, so I left Blake in charge of the place." When he saw a look of serious concern cross over Ash's face, he added, "Don't worry. I made sure to tell security to keep your house under lock and key."

Ash sighed with relief. "Thanks, Brock-o. I'm really glad you're here."

He nodded. "That's not the only reason I came, though. I have another reason."

"You do?"

Brock nodded, gesturing toward someone with his hand. Looking around his friend, Ash saw none other than his old Hoenn companions, May and Max, sitting and laughing together on one of the living room couches.

Ash rushed toward them. "May! Max! You guys made it!"

May and Max immediately jumped up to greet Ash, shouting greetings and how they couldn't believe they were finally seeing each other again after ten years. May and Max had changed just as much as Ash had. May had gotten a lot taller, now standing only about two inches shorter than Ash, who was about 6'1. She had grown her brown hair out and dyed the tips purple, as it seemed a lot of the girls were doing these days. She had filled out a lot, developing an hourglass figure that Ash found himself admiring. She was wearing an elegant pink dress and brown sandals.

Max, on the other hand, was still pretty short, only being about 5'6. Now seventeen, he looked a lot different. He had grown out his oxford blue hair so that it was about shoulder-length, and had traded in his nerdy glasses for a pair of more professional ones. He had also exchanged his schoolboy look for a more adult one, wearing a sky blue button-up shirt, blue-and-black striped tie, and white dress pants. Ash thought about how much it would suck to spill something on those.

Ash looked down at Max. "How's your journey been, Max? That is, if you decided to go on one."

He beamed at the older Trainer. "Of course I went on a journey, Ash! I went through Hoenn and Sinnoh, and then ended up taking a break to help Dad in his Gym. The experience has been good for me. I'm hoping to move on through Kanto next, though, seeing as I'm here and all."

Ash nodded.

"What about you, Ash?" May asked. "Have you been up to trouble since I wasn't around to keep an eye on you?" She winked teasingly at him.

He laughed. "I can't say I've stayed totally out of trouble, May, but I've tried! Things've been busy at the island. Lots of Trainers coming through." Who suck. He added silently.

May nodded, seeming very interested. "Well, Ash Ketchum, I'll just have to stop by your island sometime and pay you a visit! When are you planning on going back, anyway?"

Ash bit his tongue. Clearly May had no clue how unhappy he truly was in his position. Not that she would, anyway. She hadn't heard anything of Ash except what was said on T.V. and by him in interviews, which were always closely scripted by his publicist to hide anything unattractive about his life. Putting on his best fake smile, he confidently answered that he would be returning once he was satisfied with his journeying.

May pushed him playfully with her shoulder. "Just don't be too long, Mr. World's Greatest Pokemon Master."

There was that stupid title again.

All of a sudden, Ash heard his name being called. "Ash? Ash Ketchum? Does anyone know where a Mr. Ash Ketchum is?"

Ash turned, waving the man who was calling for him over. He felt a flash of curiosity as he saw that this man was wearing an official Pokemon League uniform. He hoped he wasn't here to inform Ash that Blake had destroyed his island home and given away all of his earnings.

The man halted before Ash and pulled out a clipboard. Flipping through some pages, he then held it out to Ash with a pen. "Can I have your signature here?"

Ash grabbed the pen but didn't sign. He looked at the man warily. "What is this for?"

"Confirmation that I have given you a formal invitation."

"Invitation to what?"

The man sighed. In an extremely monotone voice, he said, "This year the International Pokemon League is hosting its very first annual Tournament of Legends. The Tournament of Legends brings highly skilled, extremely talented, experienced Trainers from across the world together to compete for the title of Legendary Trainer. This title is the most prestigious title of all, even surpassing the title of World's Greatest Pokemon Master. The tournament consists of several parts that requires competitors to travel across the Pokemon world and embark on a dangerous journey that will push their skills to the max. If you are interested, the opening ceremony is on July 2nd. The same invitation is extended to you." His gaze traveled to May as he said this, whose eyes widened in surprise.

"July 2nd?" Ash echoed. "That's in two days."

The man nodded. "Indeed. The opening ceremony is being held at the Indigo Plateau, not far from this very household."

Max looked expectantly at the man. "Am I invited?"

The man shook his head. "Sorry, but no. Only the most experienced and skilled Trainers may compete. You do not qualify for entry."

"Not fair!" Max whined, his childish personality showing prominently beneath his grown-up exterior. "Why does she get to go and I don't?" He gestured angrily at May, who grinned and said, "It's all in the game, Max." This earned her a dirty look from her younger brother.

The man sighed. "Well, I'd best be going. I have many more Trainers to visit. Nice meeting you, Master Ash. May." He dipped his head to them both. He started to walk away, only to come back when he remembered that he needed May's signature. After getting it, he departed.

Any pity Ash would have felt for Max was drowned by pure excitement and determination. He finally had the perfect excuse to go on a worldwide journey! All of his fans would be so busy watching the other competitors that they wouldn't bother him. He'd be home free! He'd fight hard and win that title of Legendary Trainer, and he'd forever secure his place as the world's strongest Trainer. This was exactly what he needed, a gateway into a new life. He could tell that May was just as thrilled as he was. Even though he hadn't been invited, Max still looked excited. Ash wouldn't have been surprised if he was already cooking up a plan on how to get into that tournament. Ash could already feel the determination and rivalries between them sparking.

He was so caught up in his excitement that he didn't notice his mom and Professor Oak come up behind him. It took Delia three tries to get Ash's attention.

"Mom, you'll never believe what happened!" Ash said. "I just got invited to the Tournament of Legends!"

She smiled kindly. "We know already, dear. In fact, we're here to give you more news!"

Ash came down enough from his excitement to listen. "Is it about another tournament?"

"No, Ash."

"Well, then, what is it?"

Delia and Samuel exchanged a look. They both smiled at each other, as if sharing some kind of silent thought. They stared into each other's eyes, seemingly lost there for a few minutes. Finding this a bit weird, Ash poked at them more for an answer.

"Come on, guys! Tell me!"

The two of them looked straight at Ash, looking extremely happy. After another moment had passed, Delia burst out,

"Samuel and I are getting married!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview for Chapter 2: Ash attends the opening ceremony of the Tournament of Legends and finds out just what the heck this whole thing really is. He is reunited with some more old friends, including one of certain importance. Memories are shared and new plans made as the competitors plan out the start of their journeys, and Ash meets a person who has more in common with him than he wants to admit.


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash attends the opening ceremony of the Tournament of Legends and finds out just what the heck this whole thing really is. He is reunited with some more old friends, including one of certain importance. Memories are shared and new plans made as the competitors plan out the start of their journeys, and Ash meets a person who has more in common with him than he wants to admit.

Ash stared at his mother in utter, complete shock. "What?"

Delia's eyes glittered with happiness. "Isn't it wonderful?"

He stared at his mother and future stepfather, not really knowing how to approach this. Carefully, he asked, "How did this all come up?"

His mother took hold of the Professor's hand. "While you were away on your private island, I got quite lonely. Samuel saw that, and he started coming over more often. Eventually, we started dating. That was eight months ago. Last night, he proposed to me! Aren't you excited to be getting a new father, Ash?"

Doing what he was best at these days, Ash feigned excitement. "Yeah, I am! This is great!" Truth be told, the idea of the Professor and his mom getting married kind of creeped him out. Sure, he thought of Professor Oak as a father figure, but the idea of him actually being Ash's father seemed strange. Especially since Delia Ketchum was about twenty years younger than the Professor. Yeah, everyone said that true love had no boundaries, but nobody ever said it couldn't be weird.

Forcing his voice to stay steady, Ash asked, "So when's the wedding?"

This time, Professor Oak answered. "Sometime next spring. Your mother and I haven't quite decided yet."

Ash shifted his weight. "Well, I'm happy for you both. Mom, Professor Oak, you have my blessing." He almost choked on the words.

His approval made Delia even happier, which in turn made Ash feel a bit better. Nothing meant more to him at that time than his mother's happiness. He'd do anything to make sure she was happy. Even if he hated the idea of Professor Oak being his stepfather, his mom had done enough for Ash to deserve his blessing.

Professor Oak smiled kindly at Ash. "Please, Ash, call me Samuel. We're family now. There's no longer a need for you to address me so formally."

Ash swallowed. "Sure... Samuel." Saying Professor Oak's first name felt even stranger than the thought of his mother marrying the guy.

As if that wasn't enough, Delia just had to plant a kiss on Samuel's cheek right then and there, nearly making Ash gag. "Let's go get some punch, Samuel. This is Ash's big day, after all. Not our's."

The Professor smiled. "Of course." Squeezing his fiance's hand tight, he led her toward the punch bowl. Shaking his head in disbelief, Ash stumbled back toward the living room, not really feeling like any of this was actually happening.

Ash trudged along the beaten path, sweat making his shirt stick to his skin like glue. He had spent an hour that morning arguing with his chauffeur about whether or not he needed to take the limo to the opening ceremony for the Tournament of Legends. Ash had finally ended the argument by saying that if his chauffeur didn't let him walk, then he would fire him. Ash didn't usually drop the fire card, but he had been thoroughly irritated with the man's implication that celebrity Ash was too delicate to walk.

Ash yanked at his tight-fitting black tee, greatly regretting ever having picked that to wear for the day. There was barely any room for him to breathe in the shirt, and it didn't help that the shirt was the exact color everyone said you weren't supposed to wear when it was hot out. He hated to admit it, but it seemed to Ash that celebrity life had made him forget some of the most logical parts about traveling.

The buildings of the Indigo Plateau were just beginning to stick up from the trees. Ash felt immense relief as he saw them, knowing that they'd have the air conditioning going full blast inside. The last time he'd been here had been when him and Brock had gone to watch the annual Indigo Plateau Conference the previous year. He remembered having spent nearly the entire time searching for Misty's face among the crowd, having heard from an Elite Four member that she would be there with her then-boyfriend, Jace. Ash hadn't been planning on going until he heard that. He wanted to meet this Jace guy for himself, see if he was good enough for Misty. Maybe take him out back and have a nice chat with him that included a minor threat against his life should he ever hurt her. But, as it turned out, Misty and Jace hadn't been there. It didn't end up mattering in the end, however, as news of Misty and Jace's break up broke headlines a few weeks later.

Ash, who was busy silently fuming over the fact that Misty's first kiss hadn't been with him, failed to register that he was about to walk straight into a river. By the time he came back to the real world, it was too late. His feet slipped on the muddy bank, and down he went.

"Fuck!" He cursed, splashing around in the surprisingly shallow water. "God fucking dammit!"

He eventually recovered himself, only to find that his Pokemon League Expo hat had floated downstream. Cursing, he splashed toward it, trying desperately to keep his balance on the slippery stones.

As his fingers closed around the hard brim of his cap, something else took a liking to it and bit down as well. Yanking on it, Ash tried to free it from the strong grip of whatever had it. He eventually succeeded in retrieving it, although it earned him another fall into the river.

Cursing at the large amount of bad luck he seemed to be experiencing, Ash stared rather dejectedly at the bite marks in his hat. The hat he'd sent in about a million post cards to get. Why did it have to be the hat? Why not something he didn't need, like his underwear?

"Hey, Ashy-boy! I thought being the World's Greatest Pokemon Master'd get you a better seat for your ass than the bottom of a river!"

Ash jerked his head around. There, on a shining new purple bike, sat his lifelong rival, Gary Oak. The brown-haired man had a broad grin on his face that, like usual, promised no good. He was wearing a blue denim jacket over a white tee and black jeans. His black eyes glittered arrogantly.

Ash stood up, fixing his hat back over his wet hair. He greeted his former neighbor coldly. "Gary."

Laughing, Gary responded, "Do you need a towel, Ash? You look a bit wet."

Ash gritted his teeth. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know, I was just passing through on a little morning stroll when I came across you. I've been good, by the way. Thanks for asking. I've been busy with my research. Made a lot of money off of a vaccine I came up with just a few months ago. Bought a villa in Undella Town. Oh, and a Ferrari, too. Chicks dig those. It's all I can do to keep 'em away from me these days." The arrogance radiating off of him was almost enough to make Ash fall over. "So, Ash, what about you? I don't suppose you spend every day sitting in a river?"

"No, I don't." Ash replied, his already nearly non-existent patience with Gary quickly burning away. "In fact, I'm on my way to enter the Tournament of Legends. I suppose with all of that utterly important research you've been busy with you haven't had the time to get noticed enough for an invite." Just to further his point, Ash pulled his invitation out of his pocket, which was now soaking wet.

Gary's grin got even bigger. He pulled a piece of paper out of his own pocket and waved it around. "It just so happens that I did get an invitation. And it also just so happens that I'm going to get there before you!" Shoving his invite back into his jacket pocket, he pedaled away. "Smell ya later, loser!"

Steaming, Ash scrambled out of the river and started running after his rival. "Loser! Huh! I'll show him who's the loser when I win this competition! Then he'll really see how wrong he's been all these years!"

Despite being quite fast, Ash was no match for a bike. By the time he reached the Indigo Plateau, Gary had already arrived, parked his bike in the rack, and gone inside. Trying not to let the feelings of getting beat get to him, Ash got in one of the lines to go inside.

The line was slow, so Ash spent his time taking in the sights of the place that had once housed his biggest dream. The days during which he had tried so desperately to make it into the Indigo League Conference seemed like a lifetime away now. He'd competed in so many competitions since then, some of them a hell of a lot bigger than others. Who'd have thought that he'd end up coming back here to start chasing yet another wild dream?

When he finally got up to the front of the line, he was met by a very professional-looking lady in a businesswoman's suit. As soon as she saw him, her eyes got huge.

Here we go.

"Are you Ash Ketchum?" The woman asked.

Ash gestured toward the cluster of fans behind him. "Isn't it obvious?"

The woman turned her face away from him for a moment. Hiding her amazement, he figured. Would there ever be an end to all of this?

When the woman looked back at him again, her professional look had returned. "Well, Mr. Ketchum, as much as I would like to just give you a free pass through, I'm going to need to see your I.D. and invitation."

"Don't worry." He assured her, tossing his Trainer I.D. and invitation on the counter. "I hate free passes."

Not seeming to notice the spite in his voice, the woman took his I.D. and invitation and scanned them both. Ash caught sight of her name tag as she turned a little. Wendy. Somehow, he felt like he would need to remember that.

As soon as his I.D. and invitation came back as authentic, Wendy passed them back to him. "Thank you." He said, putting the items back in his pocket. Wendy blushed a little as he walked away.

As much as Ash would have liked to have changed out of his wet clothes, he knew he would need to wait until he had somewhere to dry them. The thought of having to spend the day in wet clothes really pissed Ash off. He was sure he looked that way, too, since he kept getting concerned glances from everyone he passed by.

It was a miracle in its own that Ash hadn't yet been swarmed by fans. He figured word had gotten around that he wanted his privacy. For once, it seemed, the public wanted to respect that. He just hoped the media would be the same way, whenever they chose to show up.

After a bit of wandering, Ash found the exit to the stadium where the opening ceremony was being held. Hundreds of Trainers were already gathered, eagerly awaiting the ceremony to start. The people who weren't invited to participate in the Tournament were gathering in the stands. Ash kept his face low, hoping no one would notice him.

He searched the crowd, looking for someone he knew. His eyes were just about finished making a full 360 when a flash of red hair caught his eye. Ash immediately jerked his gaze toward it. Could it be?

No. It couldn't be... could it? Could she actually be here, now? Was his luck actually about to turn around?

Ash started toward where he'd seen the hair flash by, forgetting to apologize as he bumped into another man. When he got to the source of the flash, he looked all around for her. Disappointment struck his heart when he saw nothing.

"Hey, Ash!"

At the sound of a female's voice, Ash turned hopefully around. His heart sank when he saw not a redhead standing before him, but a brown-haired woman instead. It took him a few moments to realize that this woman was Serena, an old traveling partner of his from back in his Kalos days. He blinked a few times, surprised to see her there.

Serena looked at him curiously. "Ash, are you okay? Aren't you going to say hi?"

Ash shook himself. "Yeah, sorry. Hi. I was just surprised to see you here, that's all." The minute he said that, he regretted it.

Hurt flashed in Serena's eyes. "You don't think I deserve to be here?"

Ash shook his head quickly. "No, no. I think you deserve to be here. It's just- I mean, I-" He fumbled for the right words.

Thankfully, the arrival of yet another old traveling companion saved him the trouble. Iris, his hotheaded, temperamental companion from the Unova region, stormed toward him. "Ash!" She cried, wrapping him in a hug he was surprised to receive from the fiery woman. "It's so great to see you again!"

Ash was so surprised by the hug that it took him until she pulled away to respond. "Hi, Iris. How have you been? It's been a while."

"It sure has!" She said, her voice oddly perky. "I've been good. I went through all of the regions, just like you suggested. I caught a bunch of new Pokemon, too! Wanna see?"

Still trying to figure out why exactly Iris was in such an uncharacteristically good mood, Ash nodded. "Uh... sure."

"Great!" Iris ripped her pack off of her shoulders and grabbed an armful of Poke Balls. "See? These aren't even all of them!"

"That's... great, Iris." Ash said, hoping she'd hear the awkwardness in his voice and explain the motive behind her madness. But, unfortunately, she did nothing of the sort. Instead, she threw all of her Poke Balls back in her pack and started rambling on about things Ash didn't pay any attention to.

After a while, he finally remembered that Serena was still standing there. Feeling like a jackass for ignoring her, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away from Iris's chatter. "Are you alright?" He asked, genuine concern for his friend in his voice.

She nodded but didn't say anything, which instantly told Ash that she definitely was not all right.

"Serena." He pressed. "If it's about what I said back there, that's not what I meant. I just meant that I was surprised to see you at that moment in time and everything."

"No, it's not that."

"Then what? Please, tell me. I'm your friend. You can trust me."

"I know that, it's just..."

"Ash! Where'd you go!" Iris's call sounded nearby. Cursing, Ash dragged Serena deeper into the crowd, hoping Iris wouldn't find them.

He stared straight into her blue eyes, an extremely serious expression on his face. "Tell me. Tell me, and I'll help you. Just like the old days."

She lowered her gaze. "I..."

At that moment, someone's voice blared over the loudspeakers, and everyone fell silent. Ash turned away from Serena, directing his attention to the big screen. On it was a pudgy old man in a fancy tuxedo addressing the crowd with a mic. Mr. Goodshow.

"Welcome, welcome, to the first annual Tournament of Legends! My name is Mr. Goodshow, and I'm here to tell you everything you need to know to compete in what is now the sole most important thing in your lives!"

Ash had a feeling he could argue that statement.

"The Tournament of Legends will begin with a preliminary match. We have an even number of 5,000 competitors, which means we will be having 2,500 preliminary battles! These battles will be taking place over the course of two days. Each of the five stadiums here at the Plateau will be in use. The winner of each match will be guaranteed a spot in the next segment, while the loser will be out of the competition. Each match will be one-on-one and battling pairs will be selected at random. After all of the preliminary matches are finished, we will begin the true competition. The day after the day after tomorrow the 2,500 remaining competitors will gather in this very stadium at dawn. Everyone will orient themselves so that they are facing the exit of the stadium. At the sound of the gunshot, everyone will begin what I like to call The Quest to Be the Best. What is The Quest to Be the Best, you ask?

"The Quest to Be the Best is what will determine who the strongest Trainers among this group are. Each competitor will be required to travel through the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos regions, as well as the Orange Archipelago and the Decolore Islands. Throughout each region, twelve Battle Centers will be located in hidden locations. It is up to each competitor to locate these twelve Battle Centers and battle the Trainers there. In order to reach the end of a Battle Center, you must defeat at least three of the six Trainers there. Once you do that, you will be given access to the final room. There, you will battle that Center's Battle King or Queen. To clear a Battle Center and receive a Victory Stamp, you must defeat that Center's King or Queen in a six-on-six battle. To clear a region, you must get ten out of twelve Victory Stamps. To gain access to the next region's Battle Centers, you must battle and defeat the Region King or Queen in a six-on-six battle at that region's Regional Outpost. Upon defeating the Region King or Queen, you will receive a Region Clear Stamp and clearance to move on to the next region. You must clear the regions in the order of Kanto, the Orange Archipelago, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, the Decolore Islands, and then finally Kalos. The Orange Archipelago and the Decolore Islands only have six Battle Centers, and you must clear four of them. Each time you move to a new region, the Battle Centers get harder and harder. By the time you reach Kalos, only the strongest will make it. And don't think you can just blow through these. You will need to train harder than ever before to defeat these Battle Centers. Those who do not listen to what I am telling you now will regret it later. Train, train, and then train some more. It can only help you. But do not dawdle at the same time. In order to be entered into the final segment of this Tournament, you must be one of the first sixteen competitors to make it to the Hall of Legends in the Kalos region.

"Upon reaching the Hall of Legends, if you are one of the first sixteen and can show proof of your region clearances, you will be allowed entry. There, you will be permitted one week to train before entering the final leg of your journey, the Battles of Legends. During this final segment, each competitor will battle against another one of the sixteen, effectively eliminating eight of the competitors. The remaining eight will battle until only four remain, then those four will battle until only two remain. Those two will fight, and the victor of that battle will then face one final fight. This final fight will be against the strongest Trainer currently known to be alive. And no, it isn't Ash Ketchum. If you win against that Trainer, you will be awarded one million dollars and the title of Legendary Trainer. You will then take the place of the final Trainer for the next year's competition. Are you ready for the fight of your lives?"

That question caused the crowd to erupt into a chorus of screaming and foot-stomping. Ash joined in, figuring that he might as well. The whole thought of this Tournament had him so excited that he forgot to be modest.

As soon as the crowd had quieted down, Mr. Goodshow spoke again. "We will now show you the first round of pairings, who will battle at 8:00 A.M. tomorrow. Please keep watch for your picture."

Ash focused hard on the screen as five pairs appeared on the screen. He searched for his face, didn't find it, and then searched for his friends' faces. He didn't find any of them, either. Not sure whether he should be relieved or disappointed, he waited for the screen to turn back to Mr. Goodshow.

"I hope you all are excited about what is to come. I wish all of you the best of luck in the coming days, and may the odds be ever in your favor."

The screen turned off, and everyone started moving toward the exits. Ash started searching for Serena, eager to find out just what the hell was bothering her so much. Even though they barely talked anymore, he was still her friend. And friends helped each other when they needed it most.

He eventually spotted her walking with a tall, black-haired man. Curious, Ash got close enough to hear their conversation but not so close that they noticed him.

"I just don't know how to tell him." Serena said. "How can I? He won't understand. He never has when it comes to that stuff."

Ash blinked. Was she talking about him?

"I know it's hard, Serena, but you have to tell him. Remember what I said about being brave? That's especially true now that you know what kind of challenge you'll be facing. Ash is your friend. You've told your other friends. You can't just not tell him."

"I don't want to make our relationship even more awkward."

"Sometimes you have to risk things like that. Ash has always been there for you. He was there when you were struggling as a Trainer. He was there when your mom died in that car accident. He'll be here for you now."

"Yeah, but I've never confided in him like this! I don't want him to think I'm weak."

"He won't think you're weak, he'll think you're brave for telling him something so personal."

"I don't know if I can, Edward."

"You can."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know you."

"You don't know me as well as I know myself."

"Are you sure about that?"

"I don't know what I can be sure of anymore."

Ash stopped walking, letting Serena and Edward walk on ahead. Now he really wanted to know what was bothering Serena so much. She had said that it was super personal, which only piqued Ash's interest more. And who was this Edward guy? Was he her boyfriend? Just a friend? A relative, maybe? So many questions were spinning through Ash's head that he didn't even notice her until her hand connected with his face.

"Ow!" Ash cried, grabbing at his stinging cheek. Anger shot through him. "What the hell was that for? What did I ever do to you?" He looked in the direction of his attacker, expecting a large, burly man or a gangster of some sort. That was not even close to what he saw.

He saw her.

Her, in all of her fiery redheaded glory. Her, standing above him with a mixture of irritation and joy on her face. Her, eyes blazing with determination. Her, looking beautiful as always.

"Misty." He greeted her for the first time in years. His voice trembled as he steadied himself before her. "Hi."

"Don't 'hi' me, Ash Ketchum! What the hell is wrong with you!? You didn't visit. You didn't call. You didn't even write! And there I was thinking we were friends!"

"We are friends!"

She snarled at him. "Friends keep in touch with each other, Ash. I don't know if you got the memo, but they don't just leave each other in the dust like that!"

Quite startled by both her sudden appearance and her anger toward him, Ash stuttered, "I-I, I was going to call, b-but I..."

"You what? Let me guess. You were too busy battling and loving up some girls to bother with me, right?"

The implication that he was a womanizer brought Ash back to his senses. "I'm not a lady's man! I'll have you know that I've never even had a girlfriend!"

"So you're a one-night man, then? How pathetic!"

He buried his face in his hands for a count of three. "That's not what I meant, Misty. Not at all. What I meant was that I've never had a girlfriend because there's never been a girl that I've really wanted to ask out." Except you. And maybe May.

She put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "Do you understand how hurt I felt? Ten years, Ash. It's been ten years since we saw each other last."

"I know. I'm sorry, Misty. I really am. But I've kept up with you. I know about your victory in the Gym Test, and everything."

"That's not important! What's important is that my best friend never bothered to call me or write to me or anything!" She was screaming now.

Ash was beginning to run out of things to say. "Once again, I'm sorry. I get that I probably should have called or something, but I just didn't have time, and other things got in the way..." He paused to look down at his shoes momentarily. He looked back up at her. His voice was quiet as he said, "But I haven't forgotten about you. Out of everyone I've ever known, I've remembered you the most. You're still my best friend, Misty."

She studied him, not knowing whether or not he was sucking up to her or telling the truth. Was it possible that he actually did miss her? Or was he just saying that to avoid another slap?

Ash met her gaze, pleading with her to forgive him.

At last, she sighed. "Fine, Ash. I forgive you. But I won't the next time."

His eyes lit up. "Really?" He sprang forward and hugged her tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'll be better, I promise!"

When he pulled away from her, the smallest hint of a blush had appeared on her face. As was typical for a dense man as himself, Ash failed to notice this and instead skipped away, happy that she had forgiven him.

Recovering from her small blush fit, Misty called after him. "Ash, wait!"

He stopped and turned. "What?"

"Dinner tonight at Nickel's? I thought we could catch up a little. You know, since we haven't talked in ten years and all." There was a hint of annoyance in her voice.

He nodded. "Sure! See you at six, then?"

She smiled. "Yeah. Stay safe, Mr. Pokemon Master."

He didn't hear her, for he was already gone.

As soon as he had left Indigo Plateau, Ash was out in the forest training. He pushed his Piplup to its limits, knowing that it had to be strong before his preliminary battle took place. It had already been bred to pedigree perfection per Ash's request. Now it was his job to utilize that perfection.

He was busy working on improving his Piplup's Bubble Beam when a loud explosion sliced through the air. Both Trainer and Pokemon stopped, jerking their heads toward the source of the noise. A cloud of smoke was pillowing up into the sky. Exchanging a quick glance with Piplup, both Ash and his Pokemon started toward the explosion.

When they arrived, the area was empty except for a giant smoking crater in the middle of the field. Ash started looking around frantically, calling for someone to show themselves.

At last, something did appear. Ash's attention was caught by an Ampharos as it padded out of the forest, focusing its clear eyes on the Pokemon Master. Piplup stepped forward, bravely squawking a challenge. The Ampharos thought nothing of it, continuing to stare at Ash out of curiosity.

Then, the glowing started. Ash had to shield his eyes as the Ampharos began to glow a brilliant white. When the light faded, Ash lowered his arm to see a girl standing in place of the yellow Pokemon.

The girl looked to be about eighteen or nineteen, with long blonde hair and brilliant blue eyes. Her skin was tan, although not flawless. She was wearing a blue tank top and white shorts.

All in all, the girl was cute.

Ash found himself staring, something that only ended when his Piplup pecked him in the leg. Jumping a little, he introduced himself. "Ash Ketchum."

The girl nodded. "Yeah, I know you." She had a country accent. "You're that fella who took the World's Greatest Pokemon Master title from Paul, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah, that's me. Who are you?"

"Daisy Thackman." She answered confidently. "Pokemon Trainer and Aura Master."

The mention of an Aura Master made Ash freeze. Alarm bells started ringing in his head. This girl had to be lying. He was the only Aura Master left in existence.

"Are you okay, mister? Ya look pretty pale all of a sudden."

Ash shook himself. "Yeah, yeah. So you... What's an Aura Master?" He decided to play dumb for the time being. He wasn't about to admit to this girl that he was an Aura User as well. He wasn't even sure if he could trust her yet.

She nodded vigorously. "Sure am. I can do a lotta stuff with my aura. Why, I can turn into different Pokemon, make aura shields to defend myself, and shoot aura spheres at stuff! Cool, ain't it?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah, it sure is. Sounds useful. I wish I had that kind of power."

"Yeah, it's rare. Granddaddy always used to say only a few people're left with this kinda power on the whole planet. Amazin' that I'm one of 'em, ain't it?"

"Mm-hmm." He agreed. "So you can turn into Pokemon? That's cool. So you were that Ampharos, then?"

"Yep. It took a lot of work, but I finally got the hang of it. Now I can disguise myself pretty darn easy. Real useful out in the wilderness when I'm trackin' a Pokemon."

"Are you participating in the Tournament of Legends?"

"Naw, that kinda thing isn't my style. I like layin' low. You participatin'?"

"Yeah, I am. Say, do you think you could give me some advice on the whole aura thing? My brother is an Aura User, and I'd like to pass the advice on to him."

"I can always pass it on in person."

"He lives in Kalos." Ash said, thinking quickly. "I'll pass it to him over the phone. Don't worry, no one will hear us."

"I don't care about that! Just tryin' to make it easier for you."

"Well, I can take care of it. Mind sharing with me?"

She checked the watch on her wrist. "Well, shucks, I'd love to, but I gotta go. Dinner'll be in a few minutes. How 'bout we meet tomorrow?"

He thought about it. There was still a chance this girl could be lying, even though she seemed innocent enough. Still, she might not be. She might actually give him advice he needed to actually make progress in his Aura training like he'd always wanted to do. He could always bring someone along with him.

"How about we meet at the park at 8:00 tomorrow morning?"

She smiled. "Sounds good! See ya around, Mr. Ketchum!" She waved at him, turned into a Liepard with a flash, and was gone.

Ash stared after the spot where she had disappeared. This had turned out to be one hell of a day, that was for sure. And he knew it could only get better from here.


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After ten years, Ash and Misty finally sit down and catch up on the times. As the night progresses, things start going from normal to awkward, and when a certain someone just happens to show up, Misty realizes that she may have to make a very important decision- one that could change her life forever.

Ash shuffled down the sidewalk. He felt like a criminal, shielding his face from public view with the hood of his sweatshirt. Brock had advised him over the phone to wear dark clothes so he didn't attract any attention. So far, it had worked. He was wearing a black hoodie over a black t-shirt, black jeans, and black sneakers. He had a feeling Misty wouldn't think too highly of his fashion choice, but if it saved him the ordeal of hand cramps from signing so many pieces of paper, it was worth it. He just hoped the people at Nickel's didn't think he was some sort of criminal attempting to rob them. He could just imagine the headlines. "Pokemon Master Ash Ketchum Arrested for Armed Robbery!" Yeah, that would fly well with the Pokemon League.

Fortunately for him, nobody questioned him as he walked into Nickel's. He hadn't been here since he'd come to the Indigo Plateau for the first time. That had been ten years ago, much to Ash's disbelief. It was hard for him to believe sometimes that so much time had passed since he had first started his journey.

The raven-haired Trainer scanned the interior of the restaurant, looking for one little redhead in particular. He finally saw her, sitting at a table that was tucked away in the corner. After he finished checking to make sure he didn't have his pants on backwards or some embarrassing thing like that, Ash strolled over to the table.

Misty looked up from the table as Ash pulled a chair out and sat down. The two friends stared at each other for a few moments, neither knowing what to say. After all, the last time they'd seen each other Ash had been an immature ten year old and Misty a nagging little girl. Now, they were both mature adults in their twenties, neither of which had any clue what the other was like now.

After the silence between them had stretched on so long as to be awkward, Misty broke it. "Well, Ash Ketchum, you can't call me out for questioning what you're wearing. You look more ready to commit a crime than to go out to dinner."

Ash looked her up and down, over-exaggerating a critical stare. She was wearing a white button-up blouse and a pair of pretty snazzy pants. His brain started to smoke as he searched for a worthy comeback.

After a couple of moments, Misty laughed and rolled her eyes. "At least that's one thing that hasn't changed about you, Ash."

"What's that?"

"Your density. Your head is as solid as a rock."

"Yeah? Well, your head is- is- uh..."

Misty raised her eyebrows, clearly waiting for a response that Ash didn't have. Finally, he gave up, throwing his arms up in the air. "I may not have a comeback this time, but I'm not stupid! I look at myself in the mirror sometimes and realize that I may look stupid, but I'm actually pretty smart! If I wasn't, I wouldn't be as successful as I am!"

"Ash, you- You know what? Just forget it." Misty chuckled and waved the waiter over. He skillfully dodged another waiter with a tray and gracefully made his way over to the table.

The waiter, whose name tag read "Raymond", whipped out a pad of paper and a pen. "Can I start you two off with something to drink?"

Ash ordered a Coke, while Misty went wild with some water. The waiter scribbled their request down on the paper and whisked away into the kitchen.

Misty folded her hands over the table. "So, Ash. What happened with you? I know that you managed to beat Paul and achieve your title, but I don't know anything else."

Ash glanced out the window, where a young couple were pushing a baby stroller along. He was quiet for a while, trying to decide where to start. The waiter had brought their drinks out and had been gone for almost two minutes before he found where he wanted to start.

"I was going to call you and try to meet up with you in Cerulean after I beat the Kalos League. I wanted to catch up with you before I went off and occupied myself with training for my battle with Paul. I never got around to it, though. Turns out a lot of things like to happen to screw up your plans. I guess I should have known better. One thing happened after the other, and next thing I knew I was on the plane flying out to battle Paul. I spent six months training for that battle. Stayed up real late memorizing moves, abilities, and analyzing the team rosters I made up. Getting that title from Paul meant everything to me. I wasn't going to let myself lose, no matter what. I couldn't. If I did, my reputation would be tarnished.

"After I beat Paul, things got even busier for me. There was so much paperwork to fill out for the League, and lots of new fans to meet and battle. My Pokemon and I had to stay in top shape, or else we'd get pounded into the ground. I did get my title challenged a couple of times, but both times I managed to crush my opponents into the ground. I loved it at first, being the World's Greatest Pokemon Master. It felt so good. I loved the fame, the money, and the power.

"But then, everything started to change. My opponents started getting weaker, and it wasn't because I was getting stronger. Trainers who were nowhere close to being ready to become Pokemon Masters started challenging me. Good Trainers were becoming rare to see. At first, I tried offering as much help as I could to those weak Trainers. Eventually, however, I started getting really frustrated with it all. I didn't understand why people couldn't just wait and train like I did rather than trying to gain the title of Pokemon Master too early. So, I decided that it was time for me to travel like Paul and Red before me did. I guess it's pretty convenient that the Tournament of Legends is happening when it is, huh?"

Misty studied him for a while. "If you were so unhappy with your life, why didn't you leave sooner? You could have come and visited me."

Ash turned his face toward her. "In all honesty, I thought you looked too busy to spend time with me."

Misty's eyes widened. "Ash, that's ridiculous! How could you ever think that? You're my best friend! I'll always have time for you!"

Ash lowered his gaze. Misty was right. He had been a fool to think that she was too busy to see him. After all, she was here now, wasn't she? Immense guilt washed over him at the thought of him having doubted his best friend so much.

Before he could respond to her words of reassurance, the waiter came back. "Am I interrupting something?"

Ash looked up and him and shook his head. "No. You're fine."

Raymond nodded and took his pad of paper back out. "In that case, I'll take your orders." He looked at Misty. "Ma'am?" He smiled kindly at the red-haired Gym Leader, an act that made Ash's heart burn with a sudden, fierce jealousy. He quickly came to question this feeling. Why the hell am I feeling jealous? This guy's obviously way too old for her. Sometimes you're really stupid, Ash Ketchum. Misty would slap you for thinking that she'd ever be interested in a graying sixty year old man.

Despite the assurance he was offering himself, Ash still felt immense jealousy as Raymond turned from Misty to him. He spoke through gritted teeth as he placed an order for a burger and fries. The man scribbled his request down on paper and whisked away.

Misty looked at him, a look of concern spreading across her face. "Ash, are you okay? You look really upset."

The Pokemon Master cleared his throat. "I'm fine." He silently cursed himself as he detected the tension in his tone.

As was typical for an observant girl like herself, Misty noticed the tension as well. "You don't seem fine. What's wrong, Ash?"

Ash gripped his half-empty glass tightly, using it as a channel for his still-pulsing jealousy. In an attempt to change the subject, he asked, "So what's been up with you?"

She gave him an exasperated look. "Ash."

He looked at her innocently. "What?"

She rolled her eyes. "Stop avoiding the question. What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Relief washed over him as a relaxed tone flowed out of his mouth.

Misty narrowed her eyes. She didn't quite fully believe that Ash was fine. She knew from experience that he had a tendency to cover up his weaknesses with fake happiness. If he was faking it, Misty observed, he had definitely gotten a lot better at it. Knowing that he wasn't about to crack, she decided to answer his own question.

"Nothing much has been up with me. Battling challengers, sort of like you. Taking the Pokemon League Inspection Test. Coming here for the Tournament of Legends. Compared to your life, mine's been pretty bland."

"I bet I could argue that," Ash grumbled. "You probably weren't busy dealing with an influx of weak challengers that threatened to crush you with boredom."

She shrugged. "I guess not. Then again, none of the Trainers I fight are ever particularly strong. The occasional one is, but most of them are new Trainers or Trainers who are still quite inexperienced."

Ash nodded. "Well, at least we still have one thing in common."

Misty looked surprised by that comment. "You don't think we have much of anything in common anymore? What makes you think that?"

He shrugged. "We haven't seen each other in over a decade. We've grown up and changed a lot. I can only assume that we don't have much in common now."

Misty leaned back into her chair, folding her arms. "Maybe not, but I still know everything about you."

"Oh really? Try me."

Without even having to think about it, she started rambling off a bunch of Ash facts, most of which even the craziest of his fan girls didn't know. "You've never had a girlfriend. You've never made any romantic advancements toward anyone. Your favorite Legendary is Ho-Oh, even though you've never met one in person. You change your underwear every two days. You have a phobia of getting lice, so you use peppermint shampoo because they say it keeps them from settling in your hair. You-"

Ash's hands flew up in the air. "Okay! I believe you! Holy Arceus, you sound like one of my crazed stalker fans."

She smiled, half-humorously, half-happily. "Not even ten years can make me forget the time I had to go to the hospital because you dumped half a bottle of peppermint shampoo in my eyes."

He took on a defensive tone. "It was an accident! I wasn't trying to land you in the hospital, even if you were being a little brat!"

An irritated look replaced the humored one on her face. "Did you just call me a brat, Ash Ketchum?"

"So what if I did?"

"Don't sass me!"

"I'm not being sassy. You are!"

"Am not!"

"Are to!"

"Not!"

"Are!"

"Not!"

"Are!"

"Are!"

"Not!" He brought his hands up to his face. "Ugh! Why do you always trick me like that?"

She smirked. "The Great Pokemon Master stumbles, and falls. You've always fallen for that, Ash. Another thing about you that hasn't changed."

He tried to make a comeback. "Yeah, well, you- I don't - I..." An annoyed grumble rumbled in his throat as he hung his head in defeat.

"Ash? Is that you?"

Ash's head snapped up as a certain blonde girl jogged up to him, blue eyes gleaming with surprise. Alarm shot through the Pokemon Master as he recognized her.

Shit! Why is she here? This is not good! Not good at all!

Daisy looked at Ash in amazement. "I wasn't expectin' to see you here, Mr. Pokemon Master!"

Ash laughed nervously. "Yeah, me neither." He cleared his throat. "Uh, Misty, this is Daisy. Thackman." Her last name spilled out of his mouth as he almost forgot to include it.

Misty smiled kindly. "Hello," she said. Her voice betrayed none of the jealousy she felt burning within. Who was this girl? Misty certainly never remembered hearing about any Daisy Thackman in the story Ash had told before. Her hands gripped her knees as she tried not to think about how much prettier this girl was than herself.

The blonde shot Misty a friendly smile. "Pleasure to meet ya, ma'am." She looked back at Ash. "Ya didn't mention anythin' about havin' a girlfriend, Ash."

Both Misty and Ash sat bolt upright, shocked looks on their faces.

Daisy looked at them both. "What? Ain't you guys on a date or somethin'?"

"No!" Ash burst out. Misty stiffened, disturbed by how much Ash seemed to be bothered by the thought of being on a date with her. Was she that unappealing?

Ash put his face in his hands for a count of three. When he finally removed them, he said, "Misty and I aren't here on a date. We're just friends." He kept his voice low, likely trying to avoid attracting the attention of the others in the restaurant.

Daisy pulled out a chair and sat down, an action that irritated Misty beyond words. What in the name of Arceus made this girl think she could just interrupt their night like this?

The Aura Master leaned forward. In a low voice, she said, "Well, for the record I think ya'd make a great couple. Yer babies'd be so cute!"

At that comment, both Ash and Misty's faces turned red as a Charmeleon. Nearly failing to keep the embarrassment out of her voice, Misty responded, "I don't really think that'll be happening any time soon." As much as I'd like to marry Ash, that's about as likely as me winning this tournament. Especially since Ash has made it quite clear that he doesn't think of me like that.

Daisy, clearly not able to see how awkward things were getting, carried the conversation on. "Why not? If the chance is there, go fer it before someone else does!"

Like you? Misty couldn't stop the thought from surfacing. She had to bite her tongue to keep herself from saying it out loud. It may not be obvious to a dense man like Ash, but it was plenty obvious to a romantic like Misty that Daisy was interested in the Pokemon Master.

At that moment, much to Misty's relief, the waiter came out with their food, effectively interrupting their awkward conversation. As plates stacked with food began gathering on the table, Daisy rose. Pushing the chair back to its original place, she started toward the other half of the room. "Well, I'll be goin' to eat over here. Nice seein' ya both, and don't ya forget what I said! He's a real keeper, Misty!"

Any doubt Misty had that the blonde girl liked Ash dissipated with those words. She smiled and nodded, trying not to show her jealousy.

As soon as Daisy was gone, Ash took an angry bite out of his burger. "I'm sorry about that. Luck must really hate me if it made her show up tonight."

Misty didn't care about the interruption as much as she did the fact that she now had serious competition for Ash. Hesitantly, she asked, "Do you really find the idea of being on a date with me repulsive?"

He looked surprised by that question. "I'm not repulsed by the idea, I just find it weird. I mean, we've been best friends for years. It would seem strange to me if we started dating, since we've never felt anything but friendship toward each other."

A flash of irritation shot through Misty. How can you be so dense? Don't you get that I've had feelings for you since the day we met?

Ash continued on, oblivious to Misty's reaction. "If we weren't such good friends, I wouldn't feel so awkward about dating you. Well, that and I've got absolutely no clue how to be romantic. I'd like to learn, but not with you. I couldn't. At least, not where we stand right now."

His rejection hurt more than anything in the world. Misty looked away from him so that he wouldn't see the tears that were beginning to form. She really wished he would just smarten up and realize that he was much more than a friend to her.

The rest of their night together was nothing more than small talk. Neither of them were really feeling it anymore, the awkwardness of their meeting with Daisy having pretty much ruined the night. As soon as Misty finished her food and the bill had been paid, she was up and getting ready to leave. She threw on her jacket, thanked Ash for what had been a decent time, and walked out.

She was barely two feet from the door when he called out to her. "Misty, wait!"

She turned around, feeling a sudden burst of hope.

The raven-haired Trainer skidded to a halt next to her, the soles of his shoes scraping against the concrete sidewalk. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You left in a rush."

Misty hesitated, debating whether or not she should tell him how the encounter had really made her feel. Deciding against it, she replied, "No, I'm fine. I guess I was just a bit annoyed with how Daisy interrupted us like that. We were having such a great time, and then she had to go and make it all awkward."

Ash rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it. I'm really sorry about all of that, Misty. If I could go back in time and delete her from tonight, I would."

Misty found herself not fully believing that. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow. Night, Ash."

He nodded and smiled. "Night." Spinning on his heel, he walked away. Misty watched him go, her heart aching with longing for the boy it seemed as if she'd never have.

Misty unlocked the door to her hotel room and slipped in. The room was just as she left it, tidy and organized. She chuckled at the thought of Ash's room, which was likely the complete opposite. Flipping on the light switch, she shut the door and flung herself on her bed.

As soon as her body came in contact with the cool sheets of her bed, all the memories of the day came crashing down on her. On her walk back to the hotel, she'd managed to succeed in forgetting about Daisy by planning for her preliminary battle. Now that she didn't have that to keep her busy, there was nothing she could do to stop the jealousy and despair from caving in.

She felt like crying, but no tears would come. Why couldn't Ash just open his eyes and see that she liked him enough to date him? Just because they were best friends didn't mean they were off-limits to each other when it came to dating. There were countless stories of childhood friends growing up and marrying each other. Why did this situation have to be any different? Misty had a feeling she knew the answer. Ash liked Daisy, and him telling Misty that he didn't want to date his best friend was just his way of letting her know he would never date her. Period. Misty couldn't stand the thought of Ash dating any girl but her. As much as it hurt her to admit it, it wouldn't be long before Daisy took Ash for herself.

Misty rolled over on her side so that she was looking out the window. There was only one way she could truly keep Daisy from dating Ash, and that was for her to date Ash instead. But how? Even if she did admit her feelings to Ash, he'd made it clear tonight that he'd reject her. Of course, there was always a chance that his density was keeping him from realizing that he had feelings for her. Still, Misty wasn't sure if it would be worth the risk. If she did admit her feelings for him and he, by some miracle, accepted it and asked her out, then everything would be perfect. However, if she admitted her feelings and he rejected them, their friendship would be ruined.

What should I do?

The question imprinted itself on the front of her mind as the tears began to fall.

Ash splashed water on his face, trying desperately to forget the memories of the night. Why the fuck did Daisy even have to show up? Now things were tense between him and Misty. The worst part was that she actually thought he was repulsed by the idea of dating her. He just didn't want to ruin their friendship, that was all. He was afraid of dating her, it ending in disaster, and them never talking to each other again. Even though it risked the steadiness of their friendship, Ash knew he had done the right thing by explaining to Misty that he didn't want to date his best friend.

On the other side, he didn't want to date Daisy either. She was very attractive and nice, but not his type. She was too cocky for him, and had no filter on what she said. She'd taken things too far tonight when she voiced her opinion on how cute Ash and Misty's children would look. Her comment had subsequently made Ash envision himself and Misty married with children, something that both scared and intrigued him. He would definitely pick Misty over Daisy any day. However, that didn't completely rule Daisy out of his life. After all, he was meeting her in the morning to learn more about her aura powers. He really hoped Misty wouldn't show up while they were together in the park.

As soon as he was done washing his face, he changed into his pajamas and climbed into bed, turning on the T.V. A news channel came up, which was conveniently showing footage from the morning's Opening Ceremony. Ash sat forward, looking for his face among the crowd.

Before he could find himself, the display switched to a news reporter interviewing Mr. Goodshow outside of the stadium where the Opening Ceremony had been. Ash sighed irritably. He had wanted to see himself, not this interviewing crap. He'd been on T.V. hundreds of times since becoming Pokemon Master, but he'd never bothered to watch any of the shows he'd been on. Upon realizing that the interview would take up the rest of the news episode, Ash turned the T.V. off. The minute he did, Misty came flooding back to his brain.

He really hoped she wasn't too upset about the events of the night. He swore that if he found out she was more upset than he had originally thought, he would march on up to Daisy and smack her in the face. Nobody upset his friends and got away with it.

As Ash lay on his bed, he thought about the meeting he had planned with Daisy in the morning. If Misty found them meeting there, she'd flip. Ash knew he would have to be super careful. He felt like a player, trying desperately to keep his affair a secret from his girlfriend. He pressed his face into the pillow, deeply regretting ever having arranged that meeting with Daisy.

Oh Ash, what have you gotten yourself into?


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash meets up with Daisy as planned, and learns something that may put the entire Tournament at risk. Our heroes participate in their preliminary battles, and will share one last moment together before setting off on the journey of a lifetime.

"So you can pretty much turn into any Pokemon you want?"

"As long as I've been in contact with that Pokemon before, I can turn into it. It took a long time fer me to stop turnin' into Pokemon against my will, but I got it now."

"What else can you do?"

Daisy's fingers tapped against the wood of the picnic table as she thought. "Well, I can put up walls'a aura when I'm in danger, an' I can use Aura Sphere as a human."

"That's it?" Ash asked, disappointed.

She nodded. "Fer now. But I think I might be gettin' a new power soon. Just got that feelin', ya know?"

Ash blinked. "What kind of feeling? Like... physical? Or mental?"

Her finger tapping became more rapid. "Sorta both, I guess. It ain't a painful feelin', but it's still bothersome."

Ash glanced at her flying fingers. She looked like an office worker madly trying to finish typing a report for work. "Do you always do that?"

"Do... what?"

"Tap your fingers like that."

She glanced down at her hands, almost as if she hadn't even realized she'd been moving them. Ash wondered if that was some sort of side affect of having Aura. Almost as soon as he thought that, his hands started itching to move. He cursed himself.

"I guess I been eager to tell ya the real reason why I agreed to meet'cha here."

Ash blinked, confused. "I thought you said you wanted to teach me more about your aura."

"Well, that's sorta true," she said softly. "But I have somethin' else to tell ya, too. Somethin' real important."

"Well?" he prompted. "Spit it out, then."

She looked up at him, almost as if his tone surprised her. He guessed it probably did. Up until now, his tone had always been calm and peaceful. Now that he knew she had held something from him, however, his irritation was beginning to show.

She looked away from him. When she spoke, her voice was so low that Ash had to lean in close to hear what she was saying. "I lied when I said that there was no other Aura Master left. There're some out there still. Two, not includin' myself. One of 'em's real old. Ninety or somethin'. The other, well he's a good Trainer just like ya, Ash. His name's Giovanni. Works for Team Rocket."

The hairs on Ash's neck stood up when he heard the mention of his most hated enemy. "Why the hell didn't you tell me this sooner?" he demanded.

She still didn't look at him. "Daddy says he apparently only found out 'bout his powers recently. It's why nobody's heard anythin' from Team Rocket in a while now. Their leader's been in hidin', trainin' to perfect his aura powers. Once he figures some of 'em out, Daddy says he'll start goin' after Trainers again. Real powerful ones, just like the ones competin' in this tournament. Use his aura powers to subdue the Trainers into givin' up their Pokemon."

Ash slammed his fist down on the table, sending vibrations through the wood. "The bastard!" he spat. "Why the hell can't he just give up already?"

"You wouldn't, if you were'n his position. It's a new way fer him to accomplish things he'd failed at before. I ain't sidin' with him. I don't agree wi' what he does. But I get why he won't quit. Not now. Not until someone shows him that not even an Aura Master can conquer the world."

Not even an Aura Master can conquer the world.

Her words echoed in Ash's head. He thought back to the time when he had defeated Paul and claimed his title as World's Greatest Pokemon Master. He had thought he'd conquered the world. Then the Pokemon League came along with the tournament and showed him just how wrong he was. Was it the same with Giovanni? He may be able to take control of the world, but he'd never control the hearts of the people.

Daisy's voice brought him back to her. "Daddy also says that only an Aura Master can beat an Aura Master. That means that it's up to me to beat Giovanni."

Ash stared at her. His mouth itched to blurt out the truth- that he was an Aura Master, too. He forced the desire down, still feeling deep inside that there was something about this girl he couldn't trust. Sure, she had shared her aura secrets with him, but that wasn't likely even close to her biggest secret. The fact that she even knew about Giovanni's aura powers was suspicious.

She finally looked at him then. "I want ya to be careful out there, Ash," she murmured. "Once Giovanni's satisfied wi' his results, he'll bring Team Rocket back. He'll start huntin' down everyone and anyone he suspects has aura powers. He'll kill anyone who gets in his way. Don't let it be you."

He stared straight into her eyes. "I won't," he promised. "I swear."

It was a few moments before she spoke. "Okay," she whispered. "I believe ya. You've made it this far. Ya can make it even further." Standing up, she leaned over and gave Ash a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll be rootin' fer ya, Mr. Pokemon Master."

Ash fought to hide the blush that was spreading on his cheeks as she started to leave. Failing to find his voice, he just nodded and waved. Thank Arceus Misty hadn't seen that.

Checking his watch, Ash saw that it was 9:39. Having learned from the listings early this morning that he was scheduled to have his preliminary match at 10:15, he decided it was time to head over to Stadium 2. Throwing out the empty egg sandwich wrapper and Styrofoam cup he had, he started making his way over.

Despite having spent a lot of time training his Piplup, Ash had ended up deciding against using the tiny Pokemon in his preliminary battle. In this type of situation, if he made a slip-up, it would cost him the competition. So, he'd decided to reserve Piplup for the actual journey and instead opt for a much stronger, more experienced Pokemon. The bird Pokemon had been rather displeased with him, but had improved its mood upon being informed that it would be used very frequently throughout the Quest to Be the Best.

Ash arrived at Stadium 2 just in time to see the battle before him reach its end. He recognized one of the Trainers as Chili, his good friend Cilan's brother. The Striaton City Gym Leader's fiery red hair whipped back and forth in the wind as he called out an order to his Simisear. The resulting Flamethrower knocked the opposing Sawk flat on its back. The Fighting-type Pokemon struggled to get to its feet. Its Trainer screamed desperately at it, demanding that it get up and continue the fight. The Sawk was too injured, however, and couldn't make it back to its feet. The judge waved his flag and called out that Sawk was unable to battle, thus making Chili the winner of the battle and the one to move on to the Quest to Be the Best. Ash felt happy for his friend's brother, but also sympathetic for the boy that had lost.

As soon as Chili and his opponent had left the field, one of the tournament runners directed Ash onto his lowered platform. His nerves really started to kick in then, making his breaths short and his heart go wild. He clutched his chosen Pokemon's Ball tightly in his hand as the platform began to lift him up onto the battle field.

The sunlight was a bit disorienting when Ash first reached the surface, but he got used to it quickly. As soon as he did, he saw who his opponent was. He didn't know who the guy was, but he looked tough. With ripped muscles and a leather jacket over a black skull shirt, Ash figured he must have at one point been in a motorcycle gang of some sort. The judge introduced him as Aaron from Blackthorn City. A virtual coin flip was then done, which decided that Aaron would be the first to throw out his Pokemon.

Ash watched, expressionless, as Aaron threw out his choice. Druddigon. Not surprising, seeing as Blackthorn City was home to hundreds of Dragon-type Pokemon.

Pulling out the Ball that held his own choice, Ash threw it high in the air. "Garchomp, I choose you!"

In a flash of light, the Dragon/Ground-type Pokemon appeared and roared.

"Battle begin!" the judge cried, madly waving his flags.

"Druddigon, start it off with a Dragon Tail! Go!" Aaron called.

The Pokemon shot forward, its tail glowing a bright blue. It was definitely fast for a Druddigon.

"Garchomp, Dig!" Ash ordered. The shark-like Pokemon burrowed its way underground just seconds before Druddigon's tail slammed down on the space where it had been. The Pokemon looked around, confused.

"Now, Garchomp!"

"Jump, Druddigon!" Aaron ordered, almost in unison with Ash's voice.

Both Pokemon did as their Trainers asked, with Garchomp's attempted attack missing. Seeing that both Pokemon were in close range, Aaron ordered a Dragon Tail that made direct contact. Garchomp slammed into the ground with a loud groan.

"Give it another Dragon Tail!" Aaron ordered. "And make it a good one!"

As Druddigon charged at Garchomp, Ash called out his own order. "Catch it!"

Getting to its feet, Garchomp held out its arms. Much to Aaron's disbelief, the Pokemon caught the attempted Dragon Tail in its arms, successfully absorbing the majority of the attack's effects.

"Hyper Beam!" Ash screamed.

Before Aaron ever had a chance to call out a counter attack, the beam of orange-y light had made contact with Druddigon's scaled body. The Pokemon flew backward, slamming into the ground and skidding a ways. Ash held his breath, hoping that the attack he'd worked so hard to perfect had been enough.

It was.

"Druddigon is unable to battle!" the judge called. "Pokemon Master Ash wins, and will move on to the Quest to Be the Best!"

The crowd roared at the announcement of Ash's victory. Ash beamed, waving to the crowd. He ignored the crestfallen look on Aaron's face, knowing that he'd start to regret winning if he did. Ash recalled Garchomp to its Poke Ball, and the platform he was standing on descended.

As soon as Ash's platform had reached the lower level, he turned and got ready to walk off the platform. However, somebody made him freeze in his tracks.

Misty was standing behind him, an unreadable expression on her face. He reached out to her, but she brushed by him and took his place on the platform. Confused, Ash watched as the platform raised Misty up to the battlefield.

Suddenly feeling a deep desire to watch her battle, Ash rushed back into the entrance area. Fans were there, desperately seeking pictures and autographs, but he pushed past them all. They continued to follow them until he made it into the Victor's Lounge, where security then stepped in to keep them out.

Much to Ash's relief, the T.V.s in the lounge area were showing footage of the battles and not some interviewing bullshit. Finding the one that was showing footage of Stadium 2, Ash sat down in front of it.

He watched as Misty sent out her choice, a Starmie. Her opponent, a middle-aged woman, sent out a Mienshao. The battle was fierce, lasting much longer than Ash's had. Both sides showed their strength, proving that they both deserved to be standing where they were. Ash sat on his seat the entire time, and ended up having the equivalent of a freak out when Starmie's Hydro Pump knocked out the opposing Mienshao. He stood up, yelling and clapping. He then proceeded to sit back down when he got some angry-ass stares from the others in the lounge.

Ash's attention was caught back to the screen as the next two Trainers rose up to the battlefield. On one side was the Johto Gym Leader Falkner, and on the other was Brock. Ash found himself wildly cheering yet again when his other best friend won his preliminary battle.

Although he planned to, Ash never ended up leaving the Victor's Lounge. Just when he was about to, either a really interesting battle began or one of his friends got up to fight their preliminary battle. The hours began to pass as one by one Trainers fell. Serena beat a man named Oliver, Iris a woman named Izzy, May defeated Carter, and Dawn beat Reynaldo. The list just kept going on and on. Even some people who Ash hadn't thought of in ages, like Barry and Bianca, were participating. Barry ended up winning his match, while Bianca lost her's. Ash was glad Bianca lost, though. Not because she was an enemy of his, but because her opponent was Gary. Ash wanted Gary to make it through the Quest to Be the Best so that he could get crushed in the final round.

By the time all of Ash's friends (and rivals) had gone through, it was past seven o'clock. Ash couldn't believe it when he saw it. How could he possibly have managed to stay for so long? Shaking his head in disbelief, he started making his way toward the Pokemon Center, who would be serving a special all-you-can-eat buffet for today's victors.

Upon arriving, Ash saw that most of his friends were already gathered. Brock, May, Misty, Dawn, Iris, Serena, and Clemont were all seated around a large table that had been pushed off to one side. Grabbing himself a plate and piling it high with food, Ash went and took a seat in between Brock and May. As soon as he arrived, a chorus of praise for his performance that day broke out.

"Your Garchomp was amazing! I wish I had a Pokemon like that!"

"That Hyper Beam must have taken so long to perfect!"

"Aaron never stood a chance!"

The only people who didn't say anything were Misty, which bothered him, and Serena, which also bothered him. Misty stabbed angrily at her chicken, while Serena sifted through her soup with her spoon.

He must have had a concerned look on his face, because May asked, "What's wrong, Ash?"

He jumped, looking at her. "Oh, oh nothing, May," he replied. "Just hungry, that's all."

She laughed. "Well, go ahead and eat, then!"

As he ate the surplus of food he had gotten from the buffet, his friends all launched into a flurry of chatting and laughter. Journey plans were discussed, theories on which Pokemon the Battle Center Trainers would have were argued over, and battle tactics were formed. Ash occasionally joined in, informing his friends of where he'd be heading to first and what he planned on doing with his Piplup.

The entire time, Misty only said a word or two, and Serena said nothing. Ash got the gist that Misty was angry with somebody, while he had no clue what was wrong with Serena. He thought back to when they'd been reunited a few days ago, when she and some guy had been discussing something sensitive. Ash's curiosity in regards to the subject peaked again, refusing to back off so he could think about anything else. He waited patiently as she slowly ate her food, waiting for the moment when she would leave.

After what felt like an eternity, she finally got up and excused herself. Ash watched her as she delivered her plates to one of the busboys and walked outside. Taking that as his cue, he picked up his napkin and wiped his face. "Well, I think I'm going to head back to my hotel room. I want to get some rest before training tomorrow."

His friends nodded in understanding. "Well, it was nice talking with you, Ash," Clemont said. The others murmured agreement. Saying goodbye, Ash gathered up his plates and walked away.

After he had delivered his dirty dishes to the cleaning staff, he walked outside. Thankfully, Serena hadn't gone far. She was leaning on a nearby fence, looking out across the village. As Ash approached, he noticed how sad she looked. Trying to keep a neutral face, he leaned against the fence beside her.

She looked at him, surprise lighting her otherwise dark eyes. "Ash? What are you doing here?"

"Just enjoying the view," he responded.

She sighed. "Come on, Ash. I know that's a lie."

He looked at her in mock surprise. "Oh really?"

She rolled her eyes. "I know why you're here. You want to know what's bothering me."

His tone turned serious. "Of course I do. Like I said earlier, you're my friend. I'd do anything for my friends."

She was quiet for a while. "I haven't told many people this. Only what few good friends I have."

Hurt shot through Ash. "I'm not a good friend anymore?"

"No, no, you still are. I just don't get to see you as often as my other friends."

He looked straight at her. "Then tell me, Serena. Please. If I'm really as good of a friend as you claim, then tell me. You can trust me, I swear."

Tears were beginning to form in her eyes. The first time she spoke, her voice was too low for Ash to hear. "What?" he asked, sounding rather stupid.

She faced him then, the tears beginning to slide down her cheeks. "I'm going to have a baby."

The whole world dipped under Ash's feet. "What?" He couldn't keep the shock out of his voice.

She looked sharply away from him. "I knew you wouldn't understand."

"No, no, it's not that. I was just surprised, that's all. I wasn't expecting that." His words jumbled together, making his sudden nervousness apparent. "How did it all happen?"

She glanced down at her hands, which were gripping the fence so hard her knuckles were white. "I found out that I was expecting about seven weeks ago. Edward, he's my boyfriend. Well, was. He proposed to me as soon as I told him. Anyway, I don't really know how it all happened. I was going through a rough period when I met him. It was right after my mom died. He found me crying in the forest one day, and took me in. Made me feel whole again. I didn't really mean for this all to happen, though. I really didn't. What am I going to do?"

Ash leaned harder against the fence. "Well, for one, don't worry. You've got me, and you've got Edward. He sounds like a great guy, if he's willing to stick with you through this. You'll be just fine, Serena. After all, your mom was pretty young when she had you."

"That doesn't make it any easier. Ash, neither of us have a job! We're going to have to move in with Edward's mom. I don't want my child living a life of poverty!"

"It won't. As long as you and Edward love it, this baby will be just fine. Love is more important than money. Take it from the guy who has all the money in the world."

Serena started nodding slowly. "I'm just scared of what the future holds. Scared that Edward will leave me when the responsibility becomes too much."

Ash gazed out across the village. "Serena, if he's decided to marry you, it means he doesn't want to leave you. It means that he loves you. I may be no love expert, but I know that much. He clearly cares for you, and your unborn child. You. Will. Be. Fine. Okay?"

She was nodding more certainly now. "Okay. Thank you, Ash. Now I see that I should have told you sooner. I'm sorry."

He squeezed her shoulder. "Don't be. I understand."

"Thank you."

"Hey, Ash, Serena?"

Both Trainers turned at Brock's voice. The Pewter City Gym Leader was standing right behind them, his phone in his hand. "Do you guys mind coming back inside? We're all going to take a selfie together before we split up to train for our journeys."

Ash nodded. "Sure. We'll be right there." Once Brock had gone back inside, he turned to Serena. "You good?"

"Yeah," she murmured. "I'm good."

He smiled. "Let's go."

They went back inside, where all of Ash's friends had gathered for the selfie. While Ash and Serena had been gone, Barry, Ritchie, and Drew had showed up. Ash chuckled a bit as he noticed how close May was standing to Drew. Ash found himself a space next to Brock, while Serena ended up in between May and Ritchie.

"Alright," Brock said. "Are we ready?"

As soon as everyone gave their approval, he lined up the camera and took the picture. The flash was quite disorienting, something that everyone laughed about after. Brock then proceeded to take individual selfies with everyone- including the on-duty Nurse Joy. He then proceeded to flirt, which earned him a nice hard slap from Misty. Upon recovering, Brock cracked open a bottle of sparkling grape juice and poured everyone a glass.

"It's been a long time since a lot of us have seen Ash. Since then, each of us have grown and changed. It was that growth and change that earned us all places in this tournament. I wish all of you the best of luck with what is to come, and may the best win." He lifted his glass. "To victory!"

"To victory!" everyone repeated. Glass clanked against glass as toasts were made. A huge smile spread across Ash's face.

This was going to be a great year.

**Author's Note:**

> Preview for Chapter 1: After a long and tiring plane ride from his home on his private island, Ash arrives in Kanto. After being reunited with some old friends, he is presented with something that will serve as great inspiration for his upcoming journey.


End file.
